An Ember's Tale

Chapter Thirty

Ember was running through the streets with her hair flying behind her in the wind like flames dancing many years ago. Her grin was wide as her white dress splattered in the mud along with her bare feet. She ran into several villagers who just rolled their eyes and muttered to themselves about one day which she needed to be a lady when she grew up or how Ember would never grow up at all.

"Akahele!" a young woman yelled at Ember, who almost knocked her over and her basket. "Keiki, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry," Ember said hurriedly as she bent down and picked up a fruit the woman had dropped. The woman rubbed it against her long skirt before she placed it back in her basket. "I was running from someone."

"Oh?" the woman looked behind her. "It wouldn't happen to be that young boy running through the streets?"

Ember spun around and cursed, a word she had learned from Timothy days ago, although he wouldn't tell her what it meant. She saw Blaise looking around for her frantically, with locks of dark, curly hair falling to his face. Finally, his golden eyes landed on hers as he smiled and raced toward her.

"Sorry again," she turned back to the woman and smiled before she took off running once again.

She laughed when Blaise tried to grab her, but she turned a sharp corner and hid against a wall. She breathed heavily before someone gently tugged on her dress. Ember spun around to find an older man with piercing blue eyes looking at her. He leaned against his cane while his heavily wrinkled face smiled at her.

"Would you help an old man?" he asked her in a dry voice.

"Of course," Ember smiled at him. "What do you need?"

"Warmth," his dry lips smacked together. "I am so cold..."

"Oh," Ember looked around, but she didn't see any blankets or clothing. The man looked heavily dressed, so she wasn't sure why he asked her for warmth, mainly because it was so hot that day.

"Perhaps," the man told her with his blue eyes gleaming. "You have a different way to warm my bones?"

Ember turned back to the man as she pursed her lips. She looked around hurriedly before she looked back at him. "You can't tell anyone."

"Oh my dear girl," the man clutched his heart before he crossed his long, bony fingers over it. "I swear."

Ember gently grabbed his wrinkled hand before she closed her eyes and summoned the heat inside of her. She was careful not to gather too much to start a fire or burn him, but enough to gently soothe him.

"Thank you... Ember."

She opened her eyes to find that the man was gone as she dropped her hands and looked around wildly. Hands covered her eyes as someone laughed behind her.

"I win," Blaise took his hands off of her eyes as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Fine," Ember spun around toward him. "But I still beat you the last five times."

"You cheated the last five times," Blaise frowned. "Using your powers doesn't count."

"You're just mad because you don't have any," she scrunched her face and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Because if I did," he grinned. "I would be way better at using them than you."

"Wanna bet?" flames rose to Ember's hands as she smirked. "I burn that grin right off-"

"Kaikamahine!"

Ember froze as the flames in her fist ceased. She looked at Blaise and mouthed 'run,' which he did, leaving her in the street with goosebumps rising on her freckled skin. She turned around to find her father glaring at her. His red hair was in wild ringlets while his grey eyes narrowed as she smiled sheepishly. She then looked over to see Timothy hiding behind their father as he peeked out.